Wireless communication devices can be configured with a power class defining a maximum uplink transmission power capability of the device. For example, UEs (user equipment devices) categorized as power class 3 UEs on a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network can have a maximum uplink transmission power capability of +23 dBm (decibels per milliwatt). However, due to factors, such as Federal Communications Commission (FCC) restrictions, devices are often limited to transmitting at a power lower than the maximum uplink transmission power capability. This situation can result in an uplink power limited scenario.
When a wireless communication device experiences an uplink power limited scenario, it can reduce an effective coverage area of a serving cell. In this regard, a cell can be configured with an effective coverage radius on the basis of a device's power class. Thus in an uplink power limited scenario, a wireless communication device can be within sufficient range of the serving base station to be able to successfully receive and decode downlink messages sent to the device, but, due to transmission power limitations, may not be able to successfully send uplink messages to the serving base station.
Measurement reports triggered on the basis of downlink power can be used to trigger a handover decision by a serving base station. However, in the case of an imbalanced link budget in which downlink power is within acceptable parameters configured on the basis of a device's power class but the device is experiencing an uplink power limited condition limiting the effective coverage area of the cell, the serving base station can be unaware of the device's transmission power limited condition. As such, the serving base station can assume that the wireless communication device remains within the cell coverage area even though the wireless communication device may be outside of the effective coverage range of the cell and unable to successfully transmit uplink messages to the serving base station. Accordingly, a handover may not be triggered and call drops can occur due to uplink radio link failure in transmission power limited scenarios.